Gang-plank.



P. B. PARK.

GANG PLANK.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 9.19I4.

Patented Aug. 31, 1,915.-

To @ZZ whom .it in wf cor/zoe@ s Be vit loieivn tiret i B. Plinn? a, oitizen `of the TJni'tcd Sit-feg residing et ilexondrin,` in the county of rlilexendrie and Sit-ite of Virginio, lieve invented certain new' and useful improvements in Geng- Planks, oi which the t'ollowi g is a, speci* ieution.l

My invention relL iinynovenients in gol Y The object of niv ir' o gang-plank for tiveen .fi car and a between cors nlw'f pose of trenserr cer to unotlier,` stoof" C, in the freight trans teyards of railroo, is.

iinotlier object ot niv invention is to provide e' gang-pieni; iiev ing ineens whereby 'the gangfol, locked :ind rigidly held between omis or e cer :ind 'olfitiforin thereby avoiding ancidents which result from the plank being eo cidentell;7 moved under the Weight of the article being; another and i. t

to new and useful pieni-5. ntion is to provide ng over the space bef platform or la 'for the purfrei ing to the ground.

A further object oi lmy invention is to provide. a gavngpleni noi/'ing interlocking-z arms pivotellv secured to :i disii gonrnoled on the under surface of tiie plonlq said ,disk having sect red tliereon ratchet-wheel, engaging e ret het for looking 'the :irnis in tlie position desired l a A still further oogect or inf; inv-enti `n is i having looking to provide means ivliieli may loe adjusted to the varylei on fliiareliel trenini adjustable lock,

ing ribs, extending longitudinally the plank and secured upon the under surface thereof.

Vlitli the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the details ot' conm struction and in the combination anderrangemente oiE the several parte us illnrtroted in the oceompanying drawing, -'orniing o part of tl'iis specification, end in which;

Figure l is :t sectional. view, showing; my improved gong-plank :is need to bridge be tween two care and also between ri cor and platform. Fig`1 2 is e ton 'plan view. Fim

is a bottom nien view. Figa l is sectional` 'view on the lire 25;*2 oit 1 in the drawingr like lettere :rod reference Speeicaton of Letters latent.

Fetented 3i? Appcaton filed July 9, 1814. Serial No; 849,963.

kcharacters denote corresponding ports in the several views, and in iv ien l indicates the moin bridge portion of my improved gzingnpianlr, which may be constructed of iron., wood, or cement ont preiferably of steel, and is provided with a plu rality of longitudinal strengthening ribs,` Z-

The ribs may loe oi different widths und Where the bridge portion oithe plank is of comparatively narrow Width e single strengthening rio attac-lied to each side Will he en'iieient-to strengthen the mein body portion of the plank, `but in e gungplnk having considerable Width,r and used to transfer lieav articles, it is preferable to provide additional strengthening ribs. The ends of the plank may te inode round or passim/er the edge oit the plank. without any Y greet resistance.

"anserred from one enr to Y.

The lockii'rg means l' secure upon the under surface of gong-plank and which oornprisee o disk,` 3, having shaft, a'-, provided with equa-re ends adapted to be operated by means of e Wrench., or7 it' preen .niile, a. orenlr handle having e socket adapted to fit over the square ende.

l also provide ai aperture (as shown in Fig. 2) in the eentrzilpzirt of 'the platt'oinL through 'which the end of shaft l projects and' which per mits tliediel to be rotated from the 'top Surface of tlie plank. pivotally attach to the disk urine having rigidly oonneoted intermediate their length arms 6--65 seid urine being approximately right :ingle in shape. Secured to the gang-plank :ire clips 6U' 6a', 6a 6, beneath which the arms may be reciprocnted when the diei; is rotated. 'liie ends of the arms, and GMG, are vbent at right angles to the main portion of the oli-ine, shown at T-f, Fig. t l also provide sharpened points onl the exten.- sion 7 7, whereby the end of the erm may eosilfv penetrate the rzime work of o ear or irilziti'orin. ln i steel ear, or Where tl'ie main benin ot the oor is nitide oit' metal, the end portion, 7, is adapted to be inserted under the beam, thus preventing the plank from being accidentally moved. The dissv I also provide with t ratchet-wheel, 8, which may be iforined integri@ellyY with the disk or congeote'd thereto by any suitable meansf A lf-sl'niped brace, 9, havin@ its ends secured to one of the .strengthening riiisi projects; over disk and forme e bearing for tl'ie Shaft Ll.

A Uponv one larm of the brace a ratchet, 10,

having spring, 1l, for holding the ratchet in contact. with the teeth of the ratchet Wheel.

The operation of my device is 'as follows: One en -of the plank rests upon the platform, or in a case where it is used between cars, upon the Hoor of a car, and the other endezrtends tothe car or platform to which the freight is to be transferred, after Which a vrench or crank handle'may be attached upon either end of the shaft and the disk rotated. The portion of the disk, asA will be plainly seen by 'an examination of Fig. 3,

moves the ends of the arms, 5-5 and 6-Q,

toward each end of the gang-plank respectively, and such a movement brings the ends of the arms in contact with the frame ofthe car or platform, or, as stated, where fthe platform or car :may be constructed of metal, the arms may slide over the'` under surface of the ,car sill, or should it 'happen Wheel on the o'peratinfgfdisk.

It is believed from-,the foregoing description of the 'constructibn and operation that) .my inventionmay be easily andreadily understood,'it being' noted that changes may be made in the details of construction and in vvthe size of the same Without departing from the scope of my inventionl Havin fully described-my invention, what I c aim :is nevv and desirejto secureby Letters Patent isf-f l. In a ang-plank, a platform provided i vWith roun ed :ends and having a plurality of l strengthening ribs secured to the under sur' face thereof, arms reciprocally mounted on the'under surface, .a rotating disk for imparting movement to said` arms, a 'ratchet wheel secured upon s aldfdisk, andmeans for shaft, a ratchet-wheel carrie arms pivotally secured upon opposite'sides Yof said disk ada ted to reciprocate through holding said ratchet wheel in a locked posi- 46 tion, substantially as described. 2. In a. gang-(plank, a platform having*- rounded ends an provided with a plurality, of strengthening ribs secured to the under surface thereof, a disk suitably mounted on said-platform and having horizontally extending arms-pivotall secured thereto, said' horizontally. exten ing arms having arms approximately right angle in shape se- 1, cured thereon', means for permitting a re-4 5'6 ciprocatory movement of the arms, means for operating the disk from either side of the gang-plank, and means for holdin said disk in a locked position, substantia ly as described.

I0 3. In a gang-plank, having a platform with rounded ends, a pluralityof 'strength-n ening ribs longitudinally secured on the under surface' thereof, cli s secured Ato said platform, a disk suitab y mounted on the under surface of the platform, a brace having its ends securedto one ofsaid stren ening ribs, forming a bearin for the 'sk 5 by said disk,

said clips, as an for thel ur ose set forth. bln afg ng-plank, a p at orm having a plurality o; ribs, cli s sei strengthenin cured upon the .under sur ace of s ai platform, a disk having a ratchet-wheel secured thereon,\armspivotally se'cured to said Vdisk 'and jextending toward each end of said plank, and means cluding said ratchet-` Wheel for holding said-l arms and' disk in a 80 locked position,)as and for the purpose de scribed.4 In "testimony Avvherdof I aliix my in pre.' Jnce ofv .two witnesses. Y

' PHIIQIP B. PARK. Witnesses: V Y

ESTHER P, MANsFInLD;

signatuy 

